From the organizers:
West Baltimore is full of public art and rich in history. On our tour, we’ll explore loads of both, as well as sites of transportation and communication innovation.
On the art side, Baltimore began a celebrated public mural program in the 1970s, including many in West Baltimore. We’ll cover murals on Viva House, a Catholic Workers refuge that has been serving the poor for over 50 years, as well as artwork through Sandtown-Winchester, Upton, and Druid Heights that features uplifting works by Mary Carfagno Ferguson, Pontella Mason, Gary Mullen, and Ernest Shaw Jr. Along the way we will learn about the current Art at Work youth program created after the 2015 Uprising to empower youth through employment and mural training.
On the history side, West Baltimore has transformed from farms and country estates into a set of primarily rowhouse neighborhoods that is intertwined with the city’s rich social, political, and creative heritage. It was also the location of two seminal events in the 19th century that helped shape world history. No only did Samuel Morse’s first long distance telegraph line start here, so did the first mile of railroad track.
We are lucky to have not one but two veteran tour leaders for this outing: Graham Coreil-Allen and Ralph Brown. The total distance is approximately 5 miles and we will ride at leisurely pace.
Cost: $15